Long live the light heavyweight king?
After escaping his bout with Alexander Gustafsson by the skin of his teeth back in Sept. 2013, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 205-pound kingpin, Jon Jones, is out to prove he's still the baddest man on the planet, taking on Glover Teixeira in the main event of UFC 172.
The pay-per-view (PPV) event, which is scheduled to go down this Saturday night (April 26, 2014) at Baltimore Arena in in Baltimore, Md., will also feature the Octagon return of Anthony "Rumble" Johnson as he faces Phil Davis with potential Light Heavyweight contender implications on the line.
Luke Rockhold will also face Tim Boetsch on the PPV main card in a match up of Middleweight standouts.
We may see the extension of a brutal reign or the ascension of a new conqueror. Either way, let's see if we can't squeeze some money out of the occasion.
Check out the latest UFC 172 odds, betting lines and recommended wagers below, courtesy of our fiscal friends at Sports Interaction:
UFC 172 Odds For The Under Card:
Joseph Benavidez (-380) vs. Tim Elliott (+315)
Takanori Gomi (-227) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (+170)
Bethe Correia (-125) vs. Jessamyn Duke (-105)
Joe Ellenberger (-290) vs. Vagner Rocha (+230)
Danny Castillo (-370) vs. Charlie Brenneman (+240)
Chris Beal (-159) vs. Patrick Williams (+115)
Thoughts: I like the look of Williams, since Sports Interaction has him as an under dog.
Yes, Beal was on television. He also has an extremely limited resume and no ground game of which to speak. Williams, a member of the same Arizona State University (ASU) squad as Cain Velasquez, figures to have a sizable wrestling advantage and seems to be the bigger hitter as well.
When in doubt, bet on the dude who spent more of his youth in a singlet.
UFC 172 Odds For The Main Card:
Jon Jones (-625) vs. Glover Teixiera (+360)
Phil Davis (-278) vs. Anthony Johnson (+190)
Luke Rockhold (-1111) vs. Tim Boetsch (+500)
Jim Miller (-270) vs. Yancy Medeiros (+185)
Andre Fili (-189) vs. Max Holloway (+135)
Thoughts: It’s lonely aboard the Max Holloway war wagon, but Sports Interaction has a nice line on him, so I’ll keep chugging along.
Holloway’s loss to Dennis Bermudez was highly questionable, while the fact that he broke his foot early on probably played a big part in his loss to Conor McGregor. He’s still a terrific striker with generally fantastic cardio and the willingness and ability to work the body. He also showed very solid takedown defense against Bermudez.
I think he edges Fili here, keeping it standing and using his combination striking to wear him down.
As far as the rest, I’m just not seeing it. Medeiros has good takedown defense, but gets hit too much for me to pick him over Miller’s always-improving striking. Rockhold should win easily, but is too big a favorite. And the under dogs in the main- and co-main events have too much power for the fights to be worth betting on.
Better to be safe than sorry.
- Single bet -- Patrick Williams: Bet $50 to make $57.50
- Single bet -- Max Holloway: Bet $40 to make $54
As always, wagering is only recommended when it's done for fun and shouldn't be employed as a way to make money. In addition, you should only bet what you can afford to lose.
Running Profit For 2014 Based On This Column: -$239.40